Page 122 - SAHCS HIVMed Journal Vol 20 No 1 2019

Page 4 of 6 Original Research

aim of the study and its importance, thus minimising non- participants residing in urban areas. About 47.7% of the
response. To minimise selection bias, the researcher used a participants reported one sexual partner, and 35.5% reported
stratified random sampling method, which involved the two or more sexual partners. Of note, students who had
division of a population into smaller groups known as strata. undergone circumcision were more likely to have one sexual
Unavoidable information bias, more specifically recall bias, partner (53.3%).
was expected to be encountered; however, this was borne in
mind when interpreting the results of the study. Uptake of male circumcision and
sexual behaviours
Data capture and analysis The proportion of circumcised men in the cohort was
The completed questionnaires were cross-checked to remove 77.6%. Among those circumcised, the majority (78.2%)
mistakes. Data were later entered into an Excel spreadsheet had undertaken the medical male circumcision; the rest
and coded, then finally imported into STATA 13 (STATA underwent traditional male circumcision. One reason
Corp, TX, USA) for statistical processing and analysis. provided by the participants for not being circumcised
Univariate analyses, including frequency distributions, were included fear of complications (21.1%), while about 45.1%
run to characterise the sample. Bivariate analysis was done had no specific reason for not being circumcised. About
to obtain significant association between the awareness and 51.8% had a single partner and was circumcised, with 22.3%
perception of college students in relation to their sexual having three or more partners. Participants who resided in
practice. The chi-square test and odds ratios (OR) with 95.0% the urban areas were mostly circumcised (76.5%), those who
confidence intervals were used to measure the association. were uncircumcised from urban areas were only 23.5%.
Summary measures were used to describe findings, and they Those who resided in rural areas and were not circumcised
were expressed as means (standard deviations), medians constituted 19.4% compared to those who were circumcised
(ranges), modes and proportions. (80.6%). A significantly high proportion of the participants
rightly acknowledged health benefits of undergoing VMMC
Ethical consideration as revealed in the following percentages: 82.2% indicated
that VMMC increases penile hygiene; 95.6% reported that
Permission to conduct the study was granted by Sefako VMMC reduces the risk of STIs; and 92.2% said that VMMC
Makgatho Health Sciences University School of Healthcare reduces the risk of penile cancer. In terms of sexual
Sciences Research Ethics Committee with clearance certificate behaviours, almost half (47.7%) of the cohort had one sexual
Ref. [SMUREC/H/1112017: PG]. Furthermore, approval was partner; about 20.9% had three or more sexual partners.
granted by the Provincial Department of Higher Education
and Training (DHET), as well as the Dean of Vuselela College Level of awareness
in order to gain access at the institution for data collection.
Participants were first clearly briefed about the purpose of The majority of the participants (90.3%) had good awareness
the study prior to obtaining an informed consent. Further, about issues surrounding VMMC. Participants below the age
participants were informed that participation in the study of 23 years (54.8%) had a poor awareness level. Specifically,
was voluntary and that they were free to withdraw from the the majority of participants (97.8%) were aware that VMMC
study at any time without being penalized. Participants were involves the removal of the foreskin. In terms of penile
also assured of anonymity in the completion of the hygiene knowledge regarding VMMC, most participants
questionnaires through the use of codes and not their real (82.2%) scored well on this aspect. A very high number of the
names or personal details. During the process of the study, participants (95.6%) had a strong belief that VMMC reduces
confidentiality was ensured and maintained by not sharing the risk of STIs. Participants who knew that there is a need
participants’ information with anyone, and by keeping all for abstinence for six weeks after VMMC were about 91.9%.
the study material in a secure place. About 30.6% of the respondents reported that they have
learnt about VMMC on television, while only a few (1.3%)
Results reported that they have never learnt about VMMC at all.

Sample characteristics Those who learnt from the radio were about 18.4%, from
newspaper 15.6%, from clinic and/or hospital 38.3%, from
The mean age of the respondents was 23 years, with a friend 27.1%, from neighbours 10.0%, through posters 13.7%,
minimum of 18 and a maximum of 42 years of age and a and from other sources 8.1%.
standard deviation of 4.1. About 50.0% of the respondents
were below 23 years. Those below 23 years were 59.5% Perception of medical male circumcision
(n = 191) as compared to those above 23 years (n = 130; 40.5%).
The majority ethnic group in the study was Black people or Generally, only 10.6% of the participants had positive
Africans (87.5%), followed by Mixed race (8.1%). Most perceptions about VMMC. In terms of the following
students belonged to the Christian religion (94.7%), and there statements: ‘VMMC reduces the size of the penis’, and
were also Jewish (1.87%) as well as Muslim (1.87%) students. ‘VMMC decreases sexual satisfaction’; 77.26% of the
A majority of the students were single (91.3%), with around participants disagreed with the former and 75.63% with the
19 (6%) living with their partners and 187 (n = 187; 58.3%) latter. When asked whether circumcised men enjoy sex more

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